Currently, deploying broadband wireless network access to end-users is expensive and requires substantial capital investment on the part of the carrier. The broadband wireless carrier moves the data the last miles from the higher-speed backbone to the end user location. Today, those last miles carriers include telephone companies, cable companies, and satellite providers. These providers typically require a 36 to 60 month return on investment. Current wireless Internet service providers (ISPs) and other broadband wireless carriers typically can achieve 18 to 24 month return on investment. Even this shorter period, however, is a barrier to widespread use and adoption of wireless broadband access. As a result, the broadband penetration in the United States is lower than it is in comparable industrialized nations.
Penetration could be improved if there was available a low cost solution for broadband wireless carriers that allows them to incrementally increase their operating costs as they need more capacity. Ideally, such a system would be incrementally expandable in capacity so that the cost of the system also grows incrementally. Thus, the broadband wireless carrier would pay proportionally to the size and use of the system so that the associated capital investment is always used efficiently.
Return on investment solutions for broadband wireless networks come from increased revenue, reduced total cost of ownership and operation, and by arranging the wireless network business to achieve earlier revenue and/or achieve a delay in expense. Ideally, the solutions let the broadband wireless network operator sign up subscriptions for revenue larger than total cost at all time from the start of the business.
One component of the cost of operation for a local broadband wireless network connected to a global network is the connection from the global network to the locality for point-of-presence on the global network.
One problem with broadband wireless networks is the need to reconfigure network devices if the system goes down. If all subscriber units, for instance, need to be reconfigured upon start-up, there are undesirable delays as the configuration can bog down the network.
One mechanism for signing up enough initial subscribers is to ensure that the individual wireless network requirements of all potential subscriber types in the wireless networks geographic coverage area are met. Subscriber types include commercial, residential and government subscribers, each of which may have different requirements in the realm of guaranteed bandwidth, amount of bandwidth or quality of service. In some broadband access systems, it is not possible to commingle different types of users without compromising the ability to meet all of the requirements of each subscriber type. If this limitation could be overcome, then the pool of potential subscribers can be expanded and the feasibility of signing up enough subscribers to reach economic break even can be improved. This mechanism is enabled when the network system has capability to separately supply agreed network capacity resources to all end users with no perceived interference between users.